Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Book Review: The Vincent Boys by Abbi Glines

The Vincent Boys (The Vincent Boys #1)
By Abbi Glines
Release Date: October 12, 2011
Source: Own Copy
Ashton is getting tired of being good, of impressing her parents and playing ideal girlfriend to Sawyer Vincent. Sawyer is perfect, a regular Prince Charming, but when he leaves town for the summer, it’s his cousin Beau who catches Ashton’s eye. Beau is the sexiest guy she’s ever seen, and even though he’s dangerous, Ashton is drawn to him.

Beau loves his cousin like a brother, so the last thing he wants to do is make a move on Sawyer’s girl. Ashton is off-limits, absolutely. That’s why he does his best to keep his distance, even though he’s been in love with her forever. When Ashton wants to rekindle their childhood friendship in Sawyer’s absence, Beau knows he should say no.

Ashton and Beau don’t want to hurt Sawyer. But the more they try to stay away from each other, the more intense their urges become. It’s getting way too hard to resist.



Ever since I met Abbi Glines two years ago, I have been dying to read her Vincent Boys series. I have heard nothing but great things about her romances, so I couldn't wait to see for myself!

Ashton has spent the past four years trying to be the perfect person for her boyfriend Sawyer. But being perfect has been tiring, so when Sawyer leaves for the summer and his bad boy cousin Beau starts hanging around, Ashton feels relieved to finally show her flaws to someone. Ashton and Beau were inseparable when they were younger and Beau hasn't stopped thinking about her since then. But Sawyer is like a brother to him, but the more time he spends with Ashton, the harder it is to stay away from the girl he knows is meant to be with him. 

Oh wow, this book. I was not ready for how irresistible Beau was going to be. We all know the typical bad boy character, but Beau is so much more than that. I loved how Beau really did care about his friendship with Sawyer and how much he tried to stay away from Ashton. I absolutely love and hate the books that have a really really really good reason for the main couple not to be together. You want them to be together so badly but then again you know that they really shouldn't be together. Darn you authors who put your readers' hearts through the wringer! 

While I loved the characters and the intense chemistry in this book, I did have a few minor problems with this book. The first was that I felt like we were already biased against Sawyer from the start. The book jumps right into Ashton being alone for the summer and growing closer to Beau. We never really get to see Ashton and Sawyer as a couple, but instead we just hear about how perfect he is and how Ashton has to pretend to be perfect and never be herself. Also, there is one moment between Ashton and Beau that I felt should have meant so much more to Ashton than she really lets on. Maybe it was just me, but I think it should have been a bigger deal than it was. 

The little problems aside, I still really enjoyed this book and the romance Abbi Glines created. I loved how much chemistry and attraction there was between our two main characters and how much emotion there was between them. I was definitely invested in their relationship and can't wait to read the second book in this series!

Sunday, May 29, 2016

Giveaway: Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella


To celebrate the paperback release of Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella, a great YA contemporary, I have one copy to giveaway! Here's more info about the book…

Finding Audrey
By Sophie Kinselle
Paperback Release Date: May 3, 2016
An anxiety disorder disrupts fourteen-year-old Audrey’s daily life. She has been making slow but steady progress with Dr. Sarah, but when Audrey meets Linus, her brother’s gaming teammate, she is energized. She connects with him. Audrey can talk through her fears with Linus in a way she’s never been able to do with anyone before. As their friendship deepens and her recovery gains momentum, a sweet romantic connection develops, one that helps not just Audrey but also her entire family.







Reviewers praise Finding Audrey

A Publishers Weekly Summer 2015 Best YA Book
One of USA Today’s “25 Hottest Books of Summer”
One of Los Angeles Times’s “30 Summer Books That Kids Will Gobble Up”
One of Seventeen’s “New Books We ©

A Kirkus Reviews 2015 Best Teen Book

“The Shopaholic scribe accurately weaves teenage insecurities with humor
in her heartwarming YA debut.”—US Weekly

“Your kids will love it.” —Redbook

“An adorable, heartwarming story.” —BookPage
“Finding Audrey stands on its own as one of this summer’s breakout YA novels.” —Time.com

« “An outstanding tragicomedy that gently explores mental illness, the lasting effects of bullying, and the power of friends and loving family to help in the healing.” Kirkus Reviews, starred

« “Sophie Kinsella’s YA debut is an insightful and deft handling of teen mental illness.” —Shelf Awareness, starred

“Kinsella’s knack for humor and sensitivity shine in a story that should easily expand her already substantial fan base.” Publishers Weekly

“With her trademark wit and sass, Kinsella sensitively broaches the complexities of young adult mental health.” —Booklist

“Kinsella’s foray into YA is a welcome one . . . a quick and engaging read with an interesting protagonist.” —Romantic Times Book Review




About the Author

Sophie Kinsella is the author of the bestselling Shopaholic series and the novels Can You Keep a Secret?, The Undomestic Goddess, Remember Me?, Twenties Girl, I’ve Got Your Number, and Wedding Night. Confessions of a Shopaholic was turned into a Hollywood movie. She lives in England.




I have one paperback copy of Finding Audrey to giveaway! Go ahead and enter the rafflecopter below! Giveaway ends June 5th US ONLY 

Saturday, May 28, 2016

My Summer TBR List

Happy summer! It is officially summer break for me and I have so much reading time ahead. Seriously, I have been dreaming about all of the books I can read in the next two and a half months. I already posted the series I want to read this summer, but there are a bunch of other books I can't wait to read! Those books include….



Awesome list, isn't it? I am beyond excited for all of these books and I want to start reading all of them right now! The problem with having so many good books to read, though, is choosing what to start with! What do you recommend? Also, are there any books I've missed? I'd love some more summer reads recommendations, so make sure to leave what you think I should read in the comments below!


Happy summer reading! 



Stacking the Shelves (195)

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews where bloggers share what books they got throughout the week!

For Review
Two amazing books arrived for me this week and I am so excited! Losing Gabriel looks like an adorable romance and it's by Lurlene McDaniel, so I know it's going to have some emotions. Next, Places No One Knows sounds like an awesome and unique book and I can't wait to read it!

From The Dollar Tree
Whenever I'm at The Dollar Tree, usually to pick up items to make something new for my classroom, I always make sure to check out the book section. I was shocked when I found The Forever of Ella and Micha there for only $1! They also had a hardcover of Shut Out, so I decided to pick that one up to. I'm so excited for my newest additions to my bookshelf! 

From Goodwill
I went to the Goodwill by my apartment for the first time and it was HUGE. I guess it's their new type of store where it looks like an actual thrift store instead of a small Goodwill that I'm used to. They had a large book section and I found a perfect paperback of Dragonfly in Amber for only a dollar. Then, I found a perfect hardback of Yes Please for only $2. Those were some awesome deals and I'm definitely happy that I found them!

From Thriftbooks
I ordered three books from Abbi Gline's Sea Breeze series and two of them came this week! I really want to start this series and finish it before I get to meet Abbi in July, so I'm glad I have these! Hopefully they're as good as I've heard they are!


That's it for me! What did you add to your shelves this week? 

Friday, May 27, 2016

Book Review: How the Duke Was Won by Lenora Bell

How the Duke Was Won (The Disgraceful Dukes #1)
By Lenora Bell
Release Date: April 26, 2016
Source: Publisher
James, the scandalously uncivilized Duke of Harland, requires a bride with a spotless reputation for a strictly business arrangement. Lust is prohibited and love is out of the question.
Four ladies. Three days. What could go wrong?
She is not like the others . . . 
Charlene Beckett, the unacknowledged daughter of an earl and a courtesan, has just been offered a life-altering fortune to pose as her half-sister, Lady Dorothea, and win the duke's proposal. All she must do is:
* Be the perfect English rose (Ha!)
* Breathe, smile, and curtsy in impossibly tight gowns (blast Lady Dorothea's sylph-like figure)
* Charm and seduce a wild duke (without appearing to try)
* Keep said duke far, far from her heart (no matter how tempting)
When secrets are revealed and passion overwhelms, James must decide if the last lady he should want is really everything he needs. And Charlene must decide if the promise of a new life is worth risking everything . . . including her heart.

I have not read a historical romance in the longest time and I honestly forgot how amazing and addicting they can be. There's just something magical about that time period and something incredibly irresistible about a rugged, dangerous duke in need of a wife…

After his father and brother die, James is now the Duke of Harland and must secure a wife so that he can return to his adventures abroad with his cocoa business. He invites four eligible women to his home in order to find a docile wife he can leave at home and continue on with his life. The last thing he expects is to fall in love. Growing up in her mother's brothel, Charlene Beckett has grown up as the illegitimate child of an earl. When her father's wife asks Charlene to act as her nearly identical sister Lady Dorothea, Charlene agrees if it means gaining the money to free her mother and her sister of the disgraceful work they are forced to partake in. Charlene must imitate a proper lady, but her fiery spirit is impossible to hide and she finds herself falling more and more for "his disgrace" as he finds himself falling for her as well. 

When I started reading this book, I immediately fell in love with the bachelor-esque story line. I mean, the duke is inviting four ladies to compete for his heart! How could I not love that story? I loved each of the "contestants" and how entertaining and different they all were. It was so much fun watching them all try to win the duke's affection while revealing some secrets of their own. The most fun of this story, though, was definitely Charlene trying to impersonate a lady. Charlene has not grown up in proper society, so whenever she let her true self slip through, it was so entertaining and I loved how much James was drawn to her fiery spirit. Charlene is such a passionate person and she just fit so perfectly with the unconventional Duke of Harland. 

While the courtship was entertaining and fun, the last quarter of the book had me on the edge of my seat and flying through the pages. What would happen when James chose a bride? What would happen to Charlene? There are multiple villains in this book and the one threatening Charlene's family was so vile and I wanted Charlene to be rid of him once and for all. Her plans weren't always that perfect, though, so I was definitely worried at multiple points for Charlene and how she was going to get out of the altercations she found herself in. 

I am so happy I picked up How the Duke Was Won because it reminded my why I love historical romances so much. I got my dark and dangerous duke who wished to be free and adventurous. I got my free spirit illegitimate daughter of a duke. And then I got my undeniable romance that was scandalous and yet the characters didn't seem to care. For a fun, entertaining, and delicious historical romance, you must pick up How the Duke was Won.


Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Waiting on Wednesday (243)

This is a meme hosted by Breaking the Spine where every Wednesday bloggers highlight a book that they are eagerly anticipating the release of!

Results May Vary
By Bethany Chase
Release Date: August 9, 2016
Can you ever really know the person you love?

She never saw it coming. Without even a shiver of suspicion to warn her, Caroline Hammond discovers that her husband is having an affair with a man—a revelation that forces her to question their entire history together, from their early days as high school sweethearts through their ten years as a happily married couple. In her now upside-down world, Caroline begins envisioning her life without the relationship that has defined it: the loneliness of being an “I” instead of a “we”; the rekindled yet tenuous closeness with her younger sister; and the unexpected—and potentially disastrous—attraction she can't get off her mind. Caroline always thought she knew her own love story, but as her husband's other secrets emerge, she must decide whether that story's ending will mean forgiving the man she's loved for half her life, or facing her future without him.

Compassionate and uplifting, Results May Vary is a bittersweet celebration of the fact that in love and in life, we rarely get exactly what we bargained for.


----------------------------------

Other than the completely adorable cover, the thing that caught my eye about this book was that Goodreads compared it to something Emily Giffin would write. I love Emily Giffin, so I immediately took a second look at this one. This sounds like a very emotional book where the main character is going to learn a lot about herself and grow so much as a person. I can't wait for the chance to read it! 

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Release Week Blitz + Giveaway: Charged by Jay Crownover

CHARGED - RWB Banner

From New York Times bestselling author Jay Crownover comes CHARGED, the latest in her sexy The Saints of Denver Series, releasing May 24th! Known for her strong heroines and alpha males, you won’t know what hit you as you read Avett and Quaid’s story. Keep reading for more about the Leagle Eagle and Avett and order your copy today.

  CHARGED - cover


About the Book

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Marked Men books comes the second installment in the Saints of Denver series featuring a bad girl and a by the book attorney who could be her salvation…or her ruin.

Avett Walker and Quaid Jackson’s worlds have no reason to collide. Ever. Quaid is a high powered criminal attorney as slick as he is handsome. Avett is a pink-haired troublemaker with a bad attitude and a history of picking the wrong men.


When Avett lands in a sea of hot water because of one terrible mistake, the only person who can get her out of it is the insanely sexy lawyer. The last thing on earth she wants to do is rely on the no-nonsense attorney who thinks of her as nothing more than a nuisance. He literally has her fate in his hands. Yet there is something about him that makes her want to convince him to loosen his tie and have a little fun…with her.


Quaid never takes on clients like the impulsive young woman with a Technicolor dye job. She could stand to learn a hard lesson or two, but something about her guileless hazel eyes intrigues him. Still, he’s determined to keep their relationship strictly business. But doing so is becoming more impossible with each day he spends with her.


As they work side-by-side, they’ll have to figure out a way to get along and keep their hands off each other—because the chemistry between them is beyond charged.

  CHARGED - RWB Teaser 1    

Avett

Don’t worry, Sprite, bad decisions always make for good stories…
              I could hear my dad’s gruff voice, lightened with humor, in my ear as he told me those words every single time I got caught doing something I wasn’t supposed to do when I was growing up. I was always doing something I shouldn’t then and now, so I heard those words a lot from him. Unfortunately, as an adult, my bad decisions resulted in consequences far worse than a scraped knee or a broken wrist from falling out of the tree in the backyard he warned me repeatedly wasn’t sturdy enough to limb. And sadly, my dad reassuring me in his firm and gentle way, while calling me his little Sprite as he kissed my boo-boos, wasn’t going to help my current situation at all. 
              This boo-boo was big-time. 
              This boo-boo was life-changing. 
              This boo-boo was anything but a good story waiting to be told.
              This boo-boo very well could be the end of me, the end of the rope where my patient parents had dangled precariously for years, and it very well could be the end of any kind of future I may have had. A future I was well on my way to letting a lifetime of bad decisions and even worse choices screw up. At barely twenty-two, bad decisions had sort of become my stock in trade and were as familiar to me as my own face. I was almost legendary, at this point, for putting all my trust in the absolutely wrong kind of people. If there was a wrong path to take, I was going to skip gleefully down that road and not look back until I ended up exactly in the kind of situation I found myself in at the moment. It wasn’t like this was even a new dead end; it was the same one I ran into over and over again. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get myself turned around, and the longer I was at this dead end, the darker and more wicked it became. 
              I knew better. I really did, even if there was a boatload of evidence contradicting that fact. 
              I wasn’t stupid, naïve, immature, or senseless. I might appear that way to anyone on the outside looking in, but I had my reasons for being a consummate failure and lifelong loser. All of those reasons had nothing to do with me not knowing better and everything to do with me knowing exactly what I deserved. 
              For a long time now I had been spiraling out of control, whirling, falling deep and deeper into a pit of really awful actions and consequences, each seemingly worse and more painful than the last. I also hadn’t made any kind of effort to try and pull myself out of it, so logically I knew the only place I was going to end up was right here, right at the lowest part of rock bottom. I never imagined the landing would be so jarring. 


And don’t miss the first titles in The Saints of Denver Series!
 

LEVELED - cover

LEVELED

  Studio portrait of young bearded man --- Image by © pinkypills/Corbis

BUILT

About the Author
Jay Crownover is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men, The Point,and the Saints of Denverseries. Like her characters, she is a big fan of tattoos. She loves music and wishes she could be a rock star, but since she has no aptitude for singing or instrument playing, she’ll settle for writing stories with interesting characters that make the reader feel something. She lives in Colorado with her three dogs.      



   
CHARGED - RWB Teaser 2
   
Giveaway
   
CHARGED - Available Now
   
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Monday, May 23, 2016

Book Review: Amour Amour by Krista and Becca Ritchie

Amour Amour 
By Krista and Becca Ritchie
Release Date: December 12, 2014
Source: Amazon
The best aerial technique won’t land 21-year-old Thora James her dream role in Amour—a sexy new acrobatic show on the Vegas strip. Thora knows she’s out of her element the second she meets Amour’s leading performer. Confident, charming and devilishly captivating, 26-year-old Nikolai Kotova lives up to his nickname as the “God of Russia.”

When Thora unknowingly walks into the crosshairs of Nikolai’s after-show, her audition process begins way too soon. Unprofessional. That’s what Nik calls their “non-existent” relationship. It’s not like Thora can avoid him. For one, they may be partners in the future—acrobatic partners, that is. But getting closer to Nik means diving deeper into sin city and into his dizzying world. 

Thora wants to perform with him, but when someone like Nikolai attracts the spotlight wherever he goes—Thora fears that she’s destined to be just background to his spellbinding show.



I fell in love with Krista and Becca's ability to write an addicting romance in Addicted to You, so when Amour Amour was on sale for 99 cents on Amazon, I couldn't resist. I had no idea what the book was about, but I knew I couldn't wait to read another book by them. 

21-year-old Thora James is tired of doing something she doesn't love, so she's taking the risk of her life and going to Las Vegas and trying out for an acrobatic show. Her first night there, she meets the mesmerizing Nikolai Kotova, a russian devil of a man, and finds herself losing a bet to him where a piercing is the punishment of choice. The next day, though, Thora has to get down to business and focus on her tryouts for the acrobatic shows. The last person Thora expects to see there is Nikolai. There is an undeniable chemistry between Nikolai and Thora, but can they keep it professional while Thora tries to face her fears of putting herself out there and finally doing something with her life worth living for? 

Holy moly, from the first page of this book I was hooked. First of all, Thora attended Ohio State, which is literally where I grew up and lived my entire life (Go Bucks!), so I loved that Thora was from Ohio. Second, Nikolai. Can we leave it at that? Seriously, there is a reason the man is nicknamed the God of Russia because he is this intoxicating, dominating presence that you just don't want to leave. I loved the moment he and Thora met and I couldn't wait to watch them fall for each other. And the fact that he happened to be the person Thora was trying out to partner with just made it that much better. 

While Nikolai looked like a God on the outside, it was so intense how much Thora got to see of his personal life. Nikolai's family is such an integral part of this book and I loved being able to meet them and watch them interact with Nikolai. There was a whole other side to him that Thora didn't know when she first met him and it added so much dimension to Nikolai's character. I absolutely loved his sister and his brothers were a hoot. Thora became just as important to Nikolai and his ability to cope with his own life as Nikolai was to Thora. 

I am happy to report that this is another addicting, sexy, and irresistible book from Krista and Becca Ritchie. The romance was intense from the start and only built from there. I could not stop reading this book and didn't want to leave Thora and Nikolai for a second. Did I mention how much I loved the fact that the main characters were acrobats? That's definitely a first for me! If you haven't yet read anything from the Ritchie twins, you must pick up Amour Amour! You won't regret it!



Sunday, May 22, 2016

Summer Series Binge TBR


Summer is exactly five days away for me and I am so ready for the two and a half months of reading and cuddling with my puppy. My first year of teaching was definitely a learning experience, but I am so happy to come out of this year confident in my career choice. I am going to miss so many of my students and I can't wait to watch them grow and graduate in two years. I am already looking forward to my second year of teaching, but I have some pretty big plans for my first official summer off! One of those plans? Catching up on some series that have been sitting on my shelves for far too long. 


This series has literally blown up Youtube and I own both of them. My sister read A Court of Thorns and Roses and is in the middle of A Court of Mist and Fury and she is really enjoying the series. I have heard nothing but phenomenal things about Sarah J Maas' series, so I really need to read this fantasy retelling of Beauty and the Beast


As a huge JLA fan and new adult fan, I have no idea how I haven't read this series yet. I own all four of these books and they have been on my shelves for almost two years now (at least the first two have been). I NEEEEEEDDD to read these! It kills me every time I look at them because I know that I'm just going to love them!


I had the pleasure of meeting Carey Corp and Lorie Langdon at Books By the Banks in the fall and that's when I picked up these two books. They're a retelling of Brigadoon, which I had never heard of before, but I love retellings so I'm excited to see how these turn out. I've heard great things about this series on Youtube, so I can't wait to read them for myself! 

 

I only own While it Lasts (book #3 in the series), but I have wanted to read this series for so so so long. I met Abbi Glines two years ago and had only read one of her books then. I recently read The Vincent Boys and really like it, so I want to read more books by her before I go to her book signing in July. Hopefully this series turns out as good as it looks!


Since I already have to read A Court of Thorns and Roses, I might as well add Sarah's most well-known series to my summer list! I have heard nothing but phenomenal things about this series and it's about time I picked it up! I own all four and my sister has read them all and I am tired of her reading everything that I haven't! We'll see how much I enjoy this fantasy series!



And those are all of the series I am planning on binging this summer! Let me know what you think of these and if you have any other series to recommend! 
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